Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Friday after a record drop in retail sales last month heightened fears that American consumers' reluctance to spend will push the economy into an even deeper downturn than currently expected.

Retail sales dropped 2.8 percent in October as consumers cut back amid recession fears, a government report showed. Consumer spending is a key driver for U.S. economic growth and corporate profits.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 337.94 points, or 3.82 percent, to 8,497.31, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> slid 38.00 points, or 4.17 percent, to 873.29. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> fell 79.85 points, or 5.00 percent, to end at 1,516.85.

The looming Nov. 15 deadline for hedge fund redemption calls -- a key date for investors to pull their money out of hedge funds -- added to the selling, analysts said.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended lower in choppy trading on Friday as demand worries persisted amid dismal retail sales data and a stronger dollar.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude settled down $1.20, or 2.06 percent, at $57.04 a barrel, trading from $55.69 to $59.96. Thursday's intraday low of $54.67 was the lowest since $53.82 was hit on Jan. 30, 2007.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November expired down 9 cents at $8.78 a bushel; January up 2 at $8.96.

Led up by strong rally in wheat, but gains limited by weak crude oil, falling stock markets and disappointing weekly export sales.

NOPA reports October soy crush at 143.4 million bushels, above average estimate for 142 million.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December down 0.21 cent at 32.60 cents per lb.

Pressed by the weakness in crude oil. NOPA reported October soyoil stocks 1.984 billion lbs, versus September 1.988 billion.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures closed lower on Friday on faltering crude oil, but speculation in the market of stronger export data limited the downside, traders said.

The benchmark January contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange closed 25 ringgit, or 1.69 percent lower, at 1,455 ringgit ($404) per tonne.

Other traded contracts were mostly lower, falling between 3 ringgit and 22 ringgit. The overall volume stood at 9,812 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Major Southeast Asian stock markets closed slightly higher on Friday but an early rally in Singapore fizzled out due to selling of blue chips such as DBS Group, and pressure on the rupiah capped gains in Indonesia.

Other markets in the region gave up most of their strong early gains because of worries about the global economic slowdown, reflected in easing oil prices, and caution before a meeting of G20 policy makers, analysts said.

Singapore's main stock index <.FTSTI> ended up 0.21 percent, after earlier surging 3.5 percent.

Indonesia <.JKSE> edged up just 0.37 percent as the rupiah stayed under pressure after the authorities' efforts to regulate foreign exchange outflows stoked rather than removed investors'fears the currency was set for a steeper fall.

Thai stocks <.SETI> slid 0.81 percent to 429.97 after rising almost 2 percent in early trade. Malaysian shares <.KLSE> posted a small 0.12 percent rise at the close.